EM

Summary of Media Distribution and Marketing

AGENDA

  • Definition of distribution and related questions

  • Historical overview of distribution in film (1940s-present)

  • Distribution in television: advertisement's role pre-digital and consumer-funded media in digital age

  • Algorithmic recommendation in distribution practices

DEFINITION OF DISTRIBUTION

  • Activities for delivering media products to audiences.

  • Space between production and consumption.

  • Questions about meanings, practices, and actors in media distribution.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND DISTRIBUTION

  • Continuous changes in distribution practices.

  • Transition from artificial scarcity in pre-digital to death of scarcity in digital era.

FILM DISTRIBUTION

  • Studio system (1920s-1940s): Vertical integration of production, distribution, and exhibition.

  • Paramount Decree (1948): Prohibition of studios owning exhibition companies, shift to financing and distributing films.

  • Home video (1980s): Growth of rental over purchase; emergence of DVDs shifting business models.

  • Conglomerate Hollywood (1990s): Vertical/horizontal integration and global media conglomerates emerge.

TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION

  • Broadcast Television: Accessibility and reliance on advertising.

  • Cable/Satellite: Higher cost, 'excludable' technology with hybrid revenue streams.

  • Internet: 'On-demand' capability, shifting viewer experience and advertisement practices.

IMPACT OF THE INTERNET

  • Fragmentation of audience attention affecting production funding.

  • Shift from scheduled ads to programmatic ad buying via consumer profiles.

  • Algorithmic content distribution on platforms like Netflix shapes viewer experience and engagement.

CONCLUSION

  • Media distribution is influenced by technological evolution, shaping content creation and audience interaction.

  • Global disparities and piracy challenge equitable access to media.